Mile Jedinak: If any fans deserve an FA Cup final it’s Crystal Palace’s

Captain fantastic: Jedinak calls on Palace to 'stand up' to Manchester United
Ian Walton/Getty Images
Giuseppe Muro20 May 2016

Crystal Palace can make history at Wembley tomorrow. The south London club are bidding to win their first major piece of silverware and if they beat Manchester United it will be Mile Jedinak who leads the team up the steps to lift the trophy.

It would be a special moment for a player who embodies the spirit that has taken Palace from the Championship to the Premier League and now to an FA Cup Final.

The togetherness in the squad has been evident throughout that journey and fills Jedinak with belief he can ascend to the royal box as a winner.

“It got us promoted, kept us up against all the odds in our first year in the Premier League and helped us get to this point,” says the Palace captain. “I am sure it will play its part tomorrow.

“Whenever someone has come in, whether that be player or manager, they have taken to it straight away and that is crucial at moments like this because it is nice knowing you are going into battle with these men.

“It is a huge occasion and a chance to create history. Opportunities like this do not come around too often, particularly at this club they have not, so it is a big deal and something we are looking forward to.

“To stand any chance you need to be thinking positively and we have the belief, there is no doubt about that.”

So has Jedinak thought about collecting the trophy should Palace prevail?

“It has been hard to get it out of the mind but you know there is 90 minutes, or potentially more, and another team standing in your way,” says the midfielder.

“It would be a special moment for everyone involved in this club and something that Palace would be proud of.”

Jedinak believes the role of underdogs will suit Palace, who have beaten Southampton, Stoke, Tottenham, Reading and Watford on their way to the final. “We know Manchester United and their history but we have come across some strong opposition along the way in this run and have always seemed to handle ourselves well on the day,” says Jedinak.

“You have got to stick to what has got you here until this point. We have got guys going forward who can hurt most teams in the Premier League.

“People will say a lot about this United side but it is still a United side. They have such a rich history and we expect them to come into the game all guns blazing. We are going to have to stand up to that.

“Is there a fear factor? We do not fear anyone. We have got to this point by defeating four strong Premier League teams. That was not easy but we were able to put our indifferences aside in the Premier League.”

Crystal Palace 1990 FA Cup Players - Where are they now?

1/14

Jedinak knows one half of Wembley will be a sea of red and blue.

“It is going to be huge for the fans,” says the midfielder. “If any football fans in this country deserve to have a final to go to, it is definitely ours. They have been tremendous throughout my time here. They have been top-class and hopefully we can give them something to really enjoy.

“We experienced Wembley in the semi-final so we have an idea of what the atmosphere is going to be like but that is probably going to go up another two levels, if not more.

“It is about keeping everyone calm and keeping emotions in check. Hopefully we will do that and execute the gameplan to a tee, and then you never know.”

Our FA Cup Final live coverage starts on standard.co.uk/facup from 12pm tomorrow.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in